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Studies in Romans

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Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · May 27, 1908

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 34, No. 22.

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Studies in Romans

By T.

Deliverance from the Power of Fleshly Appetites and Lusts.

Rom. 8:9-13.

LAST week Romans eight, verses 4-8, were considered. Those verses speak of the "mind of the flesh" and tell us what will be the result of yielding to it. They also tell us of the "mind of the Spirit" and show the blessed results of following it. The next verses in the chapter give much comfort and help by showing us something of the method by which the "mind of the flesh" may be barred out, and the "mind of the Spirit" retained instead.
"But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. But if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you, He that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead shall give life also to your mortal bodies thru His Spirit that dwelleth in you. "So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh: for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live." Rom. 8:9-13.
Living under the Spirit's power depends upon the Spirit of God dwelling in us. "Ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you." Note that the statement is made only of those with whom the Spirit of God "dwelleth." For the Spirit of God to dwell with us, it must be with us all the time. It will not do to have the Spirit with us merely when we are in trouble or distress; He must abide with us continually if we would be successful in our warfare against the flesh and its lusts.
"If any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His." This is a simple, direct statement of a plain truth. In order to belong to Christ we must have His Spirit. And the verse before this one shows that this Spirit must "dwell" with us. Then it is not only very essential that we have the Spirit of Christ, but it is equally essential that we know that we have the Spirit dwelling in us.
The Spirit of Christ will lead us to do as Christ has given us the example of doing. We will live the life of His gentleness and power. We will manifest His kindness and unselfishness. We will labor as He labored for the good of others. In a word, our lives will be built upon the broad foundation of His righteousness, if the Spirit of Christ is a dweller with us.
We must live in the very atmosphere of a realization of this indwelling presence of Christ. We must keep His promise before us all the time, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." Matt. 28:20. The presence of Christ, and the indwelling of His Spirit must be a constant living reality to us. It is only when we remember our Saviour in this way that we can have the manifestation of His power in our lives.
Speaking of Moses, the record says, "By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing Him who is invisible." Heb. 11:27. Then the secret of the life of meekness and power that Moses lived was due to the fact that "he endured, as seeing Him who is invisible." He did not endure because he had seen Him who is invisible, but he lived in the presence of his God by "seeing" Him thru faith. We may not understand just how it is accomplished; but if we will give ourselves up to it, we may know that in this way the Lord has arranged to keep the uplifting influence of His personal presence with us all the time. He has arranged that in this way we may live in the very society of Heaven all the days of our existence here, and thus be prepared for the still greater existence that is just beyond.
When David became truly converted to God, he also had the experience of living continually in the presence of God. "For David saith concerning Him, "I behold the Lord always before my face; For He is on my right hand, that I should not be moved." Acts 2:25.
It is the faith that can behold "the Lord always" before us that brings the life of power to do right. The life of righteousness does not come thru some power that we can generate in ourselves by resolutions or something of the kind; it comes by the indwelling presence of the Christ of God. Praise His name that He has made it possible for us to have Him dwell thus with us every moment of the day!
Verse eleven of the text from Romans still further emphasizes the necessity and importance of having the Spirit of Christ to dwell with us. "But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you, He that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead shall give life also to your mortal bodies thru His Spirit that dwelleth in you." This text twice refers to the "dwelling" of the Spirit with us. And thus it is emphasized over and over again that God designs for us to have His presence with us all the time, so that we may have the power of His life all the time.
Every provision has been made for us to have the benefits and the joys of right-doing. Our heavenly Father has arranged a plan by which He brings His very personal presence into the life of the child of faith. "So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh: for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live." Rom. 8:13. T.